Back Anfield Stalemate

The Daily Star’s Chief Football writer, Danny Fullbrook gives his verdict on Monday’s Premier League match at Anfield.

Liverpool v Aston Villa, Mon 20.00, Live on Skysports 1
The biggest TV game of this extended weekend comes on Monday when Liverpool play Aston Villa at Anfield. It will be an emotional night for Villa manager Gerard Houllier who won so much with the Merseyside club, including a Cup treble of FA, Carling and the Uefa Cup. But he would have wanted to take his new side there with his squad in far greater form.

Villa are on a dreadful run at the moment so they will struggle to beat Liverpool (11/2 bet365), even if Liverpool do have a injury crisis of their own with Jamie Carragher now out for three months and Steven Gerrard still sidelined. Liverpool are too short to back at home, 4/6 at Stan James, so given the way they stuttered at Spurs it is better value to look at a draw at 14/5 (William Hill) which is still very likely.